Washington Township school board asking for public input on search for new superintendent

WASHINGTON TWP. — The school board here is on a quest for a new superintendent to lead the district and they’re asking the public to get involved.

Board President Steve Altamuro said, at the request of some residents who have asked to have a part in the decision making process, the board has set up an email address where the public can offer their input on the type of leader they want to see at the helm this fall.

Cheryl Simone retired as superintendent on June 30. The school board initially intended to hire an interim superintendent to serve for one year while they searched for a more permanent replacement. But, after collecting resumes, conducting interviews and debating the position behind closed doors, the nine-member board was unable to come to a consensus, Altamuro said.

To remedy the situation immediately, Assistant Superintendent Joseph Vandenberg was appointed to fill in, but only until mid-November.

Altamuro said last week that the shorter time frame to find a superintendent for the 8,000-student district will force the board to hustle.

“There’s definitely pressure on us,” Altamuro said. “We went through the interim process twice. The board couldn’t reach an agreement on an interim superintendent. We were deadlocked the last time and it came down to two people.”

The tie-breaking vote would have come from board member Eileen Abbott, but she was absent due to an illness, Altamuro said.

Vandenberg was not a candidate initially for the interim, but was more of a “safety net,” Altamuro said.

Since the last vote, an advertisement has been placed seeking candidates for the position. The deadline is Aug. 20.

All of the former candidates for the interim position were notified of the opening, Altamuro said.

Board member Josh Aronovitch said its important for the public to get involved by suggesting what direction they want the district to go in the future. Residents are invited to send their ideas to the district via email — superintendentsearch@wtps.org.

They are asked to suggest the type of professional qualifications and attributes the new superintendent should possess, as well as any insights relating to the future priorities which will require his or her leadership, according to the district.

“I think it’s really crucial we listen to all stakeholders because the superintendent is really the leader of the school district and the public face of the school district and the one who implements the polices the board puts in place,” Aronovitch said. “The first step is part of a process of articulation what are the goals of the school district, what we’re doing right and what we can be doing better.”

Board member Andrew Walter said they are looking forward to the feedback to help narrow down the candidates. He said its possible the board might create a committee of union members and people from the public to discuss it further.

Resumes have already been received by Altamuro, who said he’s been sending them to fellow board members as they come in.

“There will be some applicants we’ll reject based on their application,” Altamuro said, referring to a candidate’s qualifications. “We want to get a feel for who we’re weeding out from the beginning and by the last meeting of August, get a list of five to 10 people that we want to give an interview for, which we can do in early September. In theory, we can get this done by the end of September.”